Just What I Needed

Last weekend my Aunt Chris and Aunt Marcia and cousins came to town and we had a wonderful time! We went to IKEA and Tai Pan Trading and then Gardner's Village for Witch's Night. It was sooo fun! Complete with witch hats, fake eyelashes, and fake witch noses we looked the part-ish. We ate delicious food and shopped and later hot tubbed at the hotel! It was so fun to be with my Aunts and cousins- they sure know how to have fun!

Mt. Timpanogos

Last weekend we climbed Mt. Timpanogos. I am surprised by how many people do it because it was a long hard hike! The sense of accomplishment was wonderful though and it had beautiful views all along the way and at the top! It took 9 1/2 hours and we rewarded ourselves with Cafe Rio later that night! I borrowed these pictures my friend Estee took. The best part was we saw 8 mountain goats! There was this adorable baby mountain goat that was on the trail on our hike down... the boys were SOO giddy when they saw it it was hilarious, but it really was the cutest thing ever!

Summer Time

So I haven't posted in forever I promise to be better! Really this time though! This last week has been one of new things: a new apartment, a new job, a new phone, a new ward, some new chairs (hand-me-downs from a cousin) and some new shoes. I feel like I have a whole new life!!
This summer has been full of a lot of fun things including a week or two at David's parents lake house in Oregon, Stadium of Fire, Weddings, hiking, and camping. Here are some random pictures from our adventures!

For weeks I have been trying to find Lilacs that did not belong in a yard or on private property, I didn't want to blatantly be picking someone's flowers. But the other day I found a lilac bush that was in between a house and an orchard.... so I waited until there weren't any cars in sight and I pulled right up next to the bush, climbed into the passengers seat and rolled the window down, I then grabbed some!

I rationalized that if the owners really knew how happy they would make me they wouldn't mind... right? Anyways I brought them home and they looked so pretty in a vase and our apartment smelled wonderful!

To bad today they are all wilted... guess I'll have to go back!

One year ago today...

A year ago today I met David Sven Woodland! And my life was forever changed! I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for such a wonderful man in my life. I am so so lucky! He is kind, he is honest, he is funny, he is friendly, he is handsome, and he is my husband!! I am so happy about that!

Everyone needs a rat-tail at least once in their life....

I know I did.





Granted I was probably 2 years old when I had mine. David would only keep it for a month but it had definite potential!

"All I have is a dollar"

I wrote this earlier this week but felt self-conscious about posting it. Today I had a day where I thought in my heart, "All I have is a dollar" in a very similar way about something particular and re-read this entry and decided it is my blog, my thoughts, and my heart and I am not going to feel self-conscious about this. So here it is:

Today I went to the grocery store to pick up a few essentials like milk, floss, and bread. I knew David wouldn't be home yet so I just took my time and wandered around.

It came time for me to go up to the cash register and I picked the line with the lady in a wheel chair because I really didn't mind waiting today. She had several various piles of food and I am guessing had several different payment methods. She was probably in her late twenties or early thirties with a tattoo on the back of her neck. I wasn't really paying attention to her, I was reading dumb tabloids but I overheard the cashier say,"that will be two thirteen." Then I started to pay attention as the lady in the wheelchair said "wait, wait, wait... two thirteen? two thirteen?... I only have a dollar, all I have is a dollar" she was frantic looking through her purse on her lap and dialing someone on the phone. I stepped forward and realized the cashier was saying $2.13 not $213.00 and offered to pay for it and slid my card. The lady didn't realize what was going on until after I did it and she was embarrassed but still thanked me. She was buying the cheapest kind of laundry detergent there was.

As I drove away from the store my heart just melted, I thought things were just a little bit rough for me with our water heater broken and having a sinus infection for a month and a half and now being on my second round of antibiotics. I realized how much I really do have to be grateful for. I am sure this lady had many many blessings in her life and I don't mean to say I have so much more. There are times in my life when I am so desperate for peace, comfort, or friendships and come up short just like this lady and cry out in my heart in a similar way, "A dollar, a dollar, all I have is a dollar." I am grateful for answers that come in forms of friends, a loving husband, or the sweet comfort of the spirit in those soft, quiet moments.

$2.13 is nothing really to give but I gained such a valuable lesson today and realized how many times I have been reached out to in just the moment that I need it and I feel so overwhelmingly blessed for those moments.

Just one of those days...

Today was one of those days where when I put my pants on this morning I thought, "Did I just wash these or am I getting fat?"

Everything about the rest of the day was just shakey and confusing and I was left to ponder: what is really going on?

Do you ever have those days?

A time for firsts.....

This is my FIRST blog post of the year! I am determined to be better about blogging this year- it is my new year's resolution!

Here is my FIRST time in Hawaii:



Here is our FIRST Christmas tree:




This is our Nativity for our FIRST Christmas together~



We actually spent our Christmas for the FIRST time for both of us in Seattle with my brother Ivin and his wife Christina and their family. Cassidy came for a few days too and it was the best time of life being with them!